Chris Pine is basically the thinking woman's action hero. He's got Sinatra-blue eyes and he-man biceps—but his nightstand is piled high with recommendations from his mom's book club (yes, A Little Life made him cry, too). And he's the rare A-list star comfortable enough in his masculinity to take a backseat to a woman, or, more specifically, Wonder Woman. (He plays Gal Gadot's boyfriend in 2017's most anticipated superhero flick.) So where did this modern god come from? Pine, 35, grew up in Los Angeles, where acting was the family business. His father, Robert Pine, was the sergeant on CHiPs; his grandmother and mom were actresses, too (until the latter gave it up to become a therapist). But Pine's the first to go supernova. He joins Ben Foster in this month's Hell or High Water—about two down-and-out Texas brothers who resort to robbing banks—but first he's back as Captain Kirk in the Star Trek threequel, Star Trek Beyond, which finds him, Spock, and the gang facing off against Idris Elba. Engage!

Did your agents advise you against taking the boyfriend role in Wonder Woman? You're Captain Kirk!

Chris Pine: It's a fun thing for journalists to say that it's the boyfriend role. I'm happy to give a laugh. But it's a really complex story. Steve Trevor—he's a little bit jaded, a little bit charming, and madly in love with this woman. I'm certainly not the lead of the film and I don't have a problem with that. Although I have to say, there were certain times we were on the beach doing this big fight sequence, and I didn't have much to do, and I remember going up to Patty [Jenkins, the director] and saying, "Shouldn't I be hitting someone—or at least getting hit—instead of just running and hiding behind boulders?" [Laughs] The male ego is strong and definitely still present.

Warner Brothers/Photofest

You're not being paid more than Gal Gadot, are you?

I don't know. I wouldn't even begin to start that conversation right now.

You cried during John Legend and Common's performance of "Glory" at last year's Oscars. Then your cry face became an Internet meme. Did friends make fun of you?

No, no. I think I said friends gave me shit on a talk show just to have something to talk about.

You mean talk-show anecdotes aren't real?

God, come on. The amount of shit you have to come up with to pass the time…

What made you cry that night?

What spoke to me about the song was the idea of obstacles of any kind. And how much we strive to overcome them, whatever our struggles are—be it racial segregation or bullying or hardship…It's just the human spirit. It's hope.

What's your struggle?

There are plenty. Life is a beautiful thing. But you're always striving to be better in your art, striving to be heard. And obviously in this business, it's striving to be noticed and appreciated. I'm always surprised reading my old journals. There's this idea that life is hard now, but then I'll reach that moment where it'll change. But there's no summit. It's a constant climb.

You lived in the same one-bedroom apartment for eight years—long after you became successful. Were you afraid it would all go away?

I loved my apartment. It was an old, beautiful, 1920s Spanish-style—original hardwood floors and tile, stuff that aesthetically turned me on. I had a coffee shop across the street. I had a great Italian restaurant next door. I was working a bunch. There's not too much time to think about anything else. But in the back of any actor's mind there's this gnawing insecurity—it's not going to last; it's not going to work out—and I definitely experienced that.

What was your first splurge on a woman?

I bought my mom a watch. But I love to splurge on travel. Especially being in London [shooting], you can go anywhere. You can go to Morocco and have a great time. But most recently, I took this lady I was dating at the time over to Liberty—this great department store in central London—and told her to pick out something, and we had a great day.

So you're single now?

Next question.

You've often talked about how unattractive you were in high school. Since then, you've dated several models. Are you making up for lost time?

At the time, I was in love with these girls and that's how it works. But I think the desire to be with someone beautiful…I just had such a different experience growing up. To be in a position where you're lauded for things that you don't own—and don't think of yourself as—it's so bizarre. It feels great to not be the acne-ridden outsider that I felt like when I was in high school. It's a lot more fun being alive now than it was then, I'll say that much.

William Shatner—the original Captain Kirk—once told me he lost his virginity at age 12. How old were you?

I was in college. It was my first year. The experience was completely out of the blue. We finished the deed, and she was kind of terrified.

Why?

She was terrified that she'd taken someone's virginity! Then she said, "If you need to call me and talk about this, I'll be around. You're welcome to come by tomorrow if you're feeling uncomfortable." She was very sweet about it.

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